Creeper attachment for horseshoes.



No. 650,868. .Patented June 5, |900.

A. l. RAEF. CREEPER ATTACHMENT FR HURSESHES.

(Application Bled Feb. 23, 1900.)

(No Model.)

PATNT Cleric4 Atorsrus r. naar, o'rKANsAs errr, Missouar.

CRP ATTACHMNT FR HRSSHOES.

SPECIFICATION vforming part of Letters Patent No. 650,868, dated .Tune 5, 1900.

Application filed February 23,1900, Serial No. 6,212. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.:V

Beit known that I, ALOYSIUS l. RAEF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Creeper Attaclv ments for Horseshoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in creeper attachments for horse or mule shoes and aims to provide a device for attachment to such shoes for the purpose of securing a sure footing for the animal when traveling upon slippery or otherwise-difficult roads; and said invention relates especially to a creeper attachment capable of being applied to the under surface of the shoe, the same consisting of a skeleton frame having the same general contour as that of the shoe, carrying upon its lower surface toe and heel calks, upon its outer, lateral, and front edges outwardly-extending lugs capable of being bent over against the corresponding outer edges of the shoe, and upon its inner edges inwardly-extending lugs adapted to be bent over the inner edges of the shoe, so as to hold the device securely in place on the shoe.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of the creeper attachment embodying my invention detached. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the bottom of a shoe with the creeper in place, but not yet fully secured to the shoe. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the upper side of the shoe with creeper fully attached, showing the terminals of the lugs and flanges which hold the creeper in place on the shoe. Fig. 4; is a perspective view of the under side of the shoe with the creeper attached and fully secured thereon. Fig. 5 is a rear end view of the' shoe and creeper before being secured together. Fig. 6 is a crosssection, through one side of the shoe and creeper after the same are secured together, ou the line VI VI of Fig. 3.

For clearness it may be stated that in the description thus far and in that to follow, also in the claims, words indicating direction-such as upper, under,7 top, bottom, Ste-have been and will be used with reference to the shoe and creeper in the position they would normally occupy on the hoof.

The shoe proper, l, for use with my device is preferably of the ordinary formg'without calks, but provided at the rear end, upon each side, with a downwardly-projecting Aright-an'- 5 5 gular shoulder 2. It is also provided on its upper su rfaee with the usual downward level 3, extending around its inner edge.

The creeper is made, preferably,of steel and normally consists of a skeleton frame 4, made 6o as light as is compatible with the requisite strength. It carries at its front end a down# wardly-projecting integral toe-calk 5 and at its' rear ends integral heel-calks 6, all having sharp edges. Between the toe-calk and heelcalks extends upon each side an integral downwardly-projecting V-shaped rib 7 for greater strength. An integral lug S projects forward from the outer edge of the toe por# tion, and lateral lugs 9 extend outwardly from 7o the rear ends. Upon the inner edges of the creeper an integral iange 10 projects rearwardly from the front or toe portion, and integral side flanges ll projectinwardly toward each other, said side flanges beginning at about the middle of the creeper and extending rearward nearly to the calks 6. Before the creeper is applied to the shoe said flanges 10 11 are bent over, upward, and outward, so that when on the shoe they will engage the 8o inner edges of the shoe, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The creeper as first formed or in its normal state'has its rear ends drawn toward cach other, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. It is applied to the shoe cold and may be ap'- plied either before or after the shoe is on the hoof. It is applied to the bottom of the shoe, as in Fig. 2, the bentup flange 10 being first made to engage thebeveled inneredge of the 9o toe portion of the shoe. The rear ends of the creeper are then forced outward by the use of any suitable tool until the flanges 11 are brought to bear firmly against the inner edges of the shoe, as in Fig.3. The rearends of the creeper are also made to abut against the inner faces of the shoulders 2 on the rear ends of the shoe. The lug 8 is then hammered over against the front edge of the toe and the lugsl 9 bent up against the outer rear edges. roo It will be seen that the creeper when thus applied is secured againstdisplacement or movement in any direction, either inward or outa ward, forward or backward, and cannot possibly become accidentally detached from the hoof.

The bevel 3 on the upper inner edge of the shoe provides a space between the shoe and hoof for the bent-over edges or lips of the fianges 10 11, so that the same cannot come in Contact with the hoof.

Iprovide a slight modification of the creeper described for application to old shoes already furnished with a toe-calli, which consists in omitting the toe-calli from its usual location on the creeper, but providing two calks of smaller size, one upon each side, near the toe, so that the toe-call; on the shoe will lie between them. rIhe frame 4 and rib '7 will extend around the front of the creeper, abutting against the inner sido of the toe-call: on the shoe.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire t0 secure by Letters Patent- 1. A creeper attachment for horse or mule shoes, adapted to be applied to the under surface of the shoe, the same consisting of a skeleton frame provided with toe and heel calks, a forwardly-projecting lug adapted to bear against the outer edge of the toe of the shoe, lateral lugs projecting outwardly from the rear ends of said frame, adapted to bear against the outer edges of the rear ends of the shoe, and front andside flanges projecting inwardly from the inner edges of said frame adapted to be bent over and bear against the inner edges and upper surface of the shoe, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a horse or mule shoe, provided with angular shoulders at its rear ends, and a downward bevel on the inner margin of its upper surface, of a Creeper attachment consisting of a skeleton frame provided with toe and heel calks, said heelcalks bearing against said shoulders, a forwardly and upwardly projecting lug, bearing against the outer edge of the toc of the shoe, lateral lugs projecting outward and upward from the rear ends of said frame, and bearing against the outer edges of the rear ends of the shoe, and front and side [langes projecting inward and upward from the inner edges of said frame, and bearing against the inner edges and the beveled upper surface of said shoe, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALOYSIUS I. RAEF.

\Vitnesses:

M. L. LANGE, K. M. IMBODEN. 

